Win2K boot screen shows 3 choices of what to boot with. I need help removing one of them....

[Ghost]

I installed WinME, then installed Win2k. However, I installed Win2k on a FAT 32 partition and wanted it on NTFS. So I re-installed Win2k on an NTFS partition. At this point, I had WinME, and 2 copies of Win2k. When I booted, I was given the choice of picking either of those 3.

I want to get rid of the Win2k that was on the FAT32 partition and that is STILL listed as a boot option. I formatted that partition but it's still showing up as an option to boot with, even though it's no longer there.

How do I change the Windows 2000 boot manager so I only have the 2 systems I want listed?

If this involves editing the boot.ini file. Where the heck is that? I searched for it and couldn't find it anywhere on my system.

Thanks!

 

[Raincity]

its a hidden file in your c root directory, just open it with notepad and remove the extra os entry.

Rain

 

[Ghost]

I know this is a dumb question....but what, exactly is a "root" directory. And I can't find any directories in windows explorer that are labeled "root"

Pardon my ignorance

Thanks again

 

[gtb55447]

for example the root of c is C:\

It is the first directory or main directory on your hard drive, which all the others fall under.

 

[Voland]

the root directory is the directory all the way at the top, such as C:\ or d:\ or whatever.
I am not quites ure which partition you formatted...did you format the FAT32 partition? If so, do you have an OS on that partition now?
Try to look for a file named "ntldr" on your FAT32 partition and open it with Wordpad. That's where the info should be I think. I am not sure, so if you don't find it there, check boot.ini and bootsect.dos
If your really want to get rid of Win2kon your Fat32 partition, y9ou have to delete ntldr, ntdetect.com, bootsect.dos, boot.ini, and the swap file.

 

[Grminalac]

I believe I am having a similar problem, I upgraded to Win 2000 from a quick install of Win98 on a freshly formatted drive. I only want the option of booting into win2000, but instead I am promted to choose from windows 2000 or windows. (Although the windows selection does nothing; it has long since been removed.) How will I go about doing this, I suspect it will be the same way ghost will need to remove his entry.

 

[Rick25]

In case you ever install on a Fat32 partition again when you wanted a NTFS one. Try the following command from the command prompt "convert x: /FS:NTFS". Where x is the drive letter you want to convert. It may not work, but if it dows it'll save you a bunch of time.

 

[Ghost]

Man, I feel dumb. Still can't find boot.ini or bootsect.dos or ntldr.

I have 2 partitions on 1 drive. C: has Windows ME and in the root directory of that is: _Restore, My documents, Program Files, Windows, Autoexec, Classes.1st, Config.bak, Config.sys

E partition has Windows 2000. That has these files in the root directory: Documents and settings, Program Files, WinNT.

My D partition is a seperate physical hard drive that has my old Win98 on it.

I've used the "search" feature that comes with Win2000 and tried looking for boot.ini, boot.*, bootsect.dos, ntldr.* etc and it doesn't seem to search for very long and can't find any of those files.

 

[Doh!]

You have to uncheck the box for "hide system files" in your folder option setting.

 

[Ghost]

Thanks. I had the box checked to show hidden files and folders, but didn't see the box about "hide protected files"

I found it. Thanks!!!!!

 

[cparker]

I got same problem griminalac has. I just let it be, but it's kind of inane to have a boot option for windows that doesn't exist.

 

[Grminalac]

Unfortunetly I still cannot remedy my problem. Let me explain it further. On a fresh format I installed Windows 98, and then installed WIN2K Pro (it was an upgrade). I did not select a dual OS boot as an option and I had the entire drive changed to a NTFS file system. Unfortunetly when I reboot something still thinks there are 2 operating systems installed Even though when you select the windows boot option absolutely nothing happens- the screen just goes black; there isn't even a directory named windows on my comp at all. I tried to search for the files you listed boot.ini and others, but could not find them; although, I do have show hidden files selected. As cparker said this is a problem that can be overlooked, but I feel slightly put off to the fact that I paid a lot of money for a supposedly mature and stable OS but get a glitch every time I reboot.

 

[Grminalac]

Oh well, I guess I typed all that for no reason whatsoever. I checked the box hide protected files and I found it. Heh I guess I could not do that before because I was not logged in as administrator.

 

[cparker]

OK, I found a "boot.ini" file and here's what's in it:

[boot loader]
timeout=30
default=multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT
[operating systems]
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINNT="Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional" /fastdetect
C:\="Microsoft Windows"


So what do I do? delete the last line to get rid of that second "windows" boot option that's nonexistant?

 

[ironwoode]

Grminalac:

There is an easier way to choose the OS.

right click on my computer. click properties. choose advanced. click start up and recovery. Look at the top and you will see SYSTEM STARTUP. here you can choose which operating system you wish to use as default (for multibooting) or you can choose to just boot one operating system with no choice.

Of course this doesn`t give you the ability to delete an entry.

 

[Grminalac]

yes delete the last windows line cparker.
thanks for the info inronwoode.

 

[cparker]

Thanks, I did it and it works. Simplify!